Walnut Creek, California — Contra Costa County prosecutors have charged a Benicia mother and father with misdemeanor child abuse after their underage son was seriously injured in an e-bike crash in Walnut Creek.
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office said Steven Leroy Crews and Jeanna Marie Gabellini, both 58, were each charged with one count under Penal Code 273a(a), and were scheduled to be arraigned in Martinez on Friday, March 27, 2026. (Contra Costa County)
According to prosecutors, the crash happened at about 3:05 p.m. on September 18, 2025, when the minor, riding a Surron Light Bee e-moto (a type of motorcycle-like E-bike), slammed into a minivan at Treat Boulevard and Arkell Road in Walnut Creek.
The child suffered severe injuries and was taken to a local hospital for emergency care, while the minivan driver was not hurt and remained at the scene.
Investigators say witness statements and other evidence led Walnut Creek police to conclude the child had been riding the e-moto unlawfully, at unsafe speeds, before the collision. Prosecutors further allege that Crews and Gabellini allowed him to ride the vehicle repeatedly from ages 14 to 17 despite repeated citations and warnings from law enforcement.
The case is likely to draw extra attention because it lands in the middle of a broader East Bay debate over fast electric two-wheelers that can resemble e-bikes but are treated more like motorcycles under the law.
Walnut Creek’s own safety guidance says e-mopeds and e-motorcycles require an M1 or M2 license or permit, state registration, helmets for all ages, and use of vehicle lanes only. (Walnut Creek)
The “bike” at issue in this case is technically an electric motorcycle. But the line between a benign (and legal) pedal-assist E-Bike and an “E-Moto” isn’t always clear to locals.
In announcing the charges, District Attorney Diana Becton said the growing presence of e-bikes and e-motos on local streets means parents need to understand the risks when children operate them unlawfully and without proper driver education. That framing suggests prosecutors see this case not just as a single crash, but as part of a wider warning to families across Contra Costa County.
